


Strength

by CrystalNinjaPhoenix



Series: Crystal's Septic Fic Universe [4]
Category: jacksepticeye
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:22:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25433812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalNinjaPhoenix/pseuds/CrystalNinjaPhoenix
Summary: A short piece in which Jackie and JJ have an important conversation.
Relationships: Jameson & Jackie
Series: Crystal's Septic Fic Universe [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1842199
Kudos: 6





	Strength

“You’re alright, right? He didn’t get you?” Not waiting for an answer, Jackie started patting down his friend in search of injuries. “The hospital is close, and Schneep’s on duty so if we want to not talk about this we don’t have to—”

Jackie’s frantic searching was stopped when JJ grabbed his hands, holding them in his for a moment before letting go. He signed, _I’m perfectly alright. You don’t have to go to such a fuss._

“You’re sure?” Jackie asked, skeptical. “That dude had a knife! He didn’t—didn’t hurt you?”

JJ smiled, then spread his arms wide and did a little turn. _A little banged up, but no worse for wear._

Jackie let out the breath he’d been holding. “Okay, if you’re sure. But I’m walking with you the rest of the way. Where were you going?”

_Just to the shop. I was out of tea. You don’t have to come with me._

“I’m gonna do it anyway.”

JJ sighed in a “well, if you insist” manner, then smiled a bit again, smaller this time. He turned down the street and beckoned for Jackie to follow, which he did.

Jackie watched the sun set above the buildings of the city. It was gonna get dark quickly as soon as it traveled below the horizon. And dark meant dangerous, especially for someone like JJ who dressed fancy and looked friendly and vulnerable. “Hey JJ,” Jackie said. “I think…I think I should start teaching you how to fight.”

JJ looked so surprised it was almost comical. _Why?_

“Why? Because!” Jackie gestured back behind them. “Because the only reason you didn’t end up mugged or worse was because I was walking home from work at the same time! You could’ve been hurt, so I think you need to learn how to stop that from happening.”

Jameson was already shaking his head. _I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think it’s needed._

“You don’t have to become a master brawler or anything, just know enough to defend yourself,” Jackie rushed to say. “If you want to quit after the basics, you can.”

 _Jackie._ The name sign for Jackie was a strange two-handed gesture, combining the sign for the letter J with the one for the word “hero.” _You’re very kind, but it’s really not necessary. I get along well enough._

“No offense, but that’s a bit of bullshit right there.” Jackie looked away. “There’s…not always gonna be one of us around to protect you. You really just got lucky today. And I don’t want you to end up hurt because you weren’t strong enough to protect yourself. I know nobody else does either. So…just for a little bit, okay?”

Silence. Well, not like there was an option for much else. Jackie realized it was sort of rude to not look at someone who uses sign language to talk. He was just turning around again when something hit him, hard, in the face. He stumbled a bit, looking around for an attacker, when another fist swung out of nowhere and slammed into his stomach. Something knocked his legs out, and he toppled to the ground, landing hard on his side. He gasped for breath.

JJ leaned over, wiggling his fingers in a friendly wave. _I’d like to point out that if somebody had a knife NOW, you would be in a fair spot of trouble._

Jackie had managed to regain his breath. “How’d you do that?!”

_I’m not as helpless as you assume me to be. Need a hand?_

He accepted the hand in question and let JJ pull him up. “But…seriously, how did you do that? And why didn’t you do that earlier, when the guy was threatening you to hand over your cash or else?”

Jameson shoved his hands in his pockets, the sign language equivalent of not knowing what to say. He stared off down the street, an impossible expression on his face. Jackie felt something well up in his chest. Even though he knew that Jameson was technically older than any of them, he always sort of…didn’t realize it. But the look in his eyes now truly drove that point home.

 _Jackie, I have done a great deal of harm in my life,_ he finally signed.

“That wasn’t you! That was—”

He raised a hand, silencing him. _I know that. But it doesn’t change the fact that it was my hands doing those awful deeds. I couldn’t do anything but watch people get hurt for the longest time. So, once I regained the power of choice, my first one was that there would be no more harm done by me. For no reason whatsoever. And that’s a principle I’ll stick to._

Jackie didn’t say anything. In all honesty, he didn’t know if there was anything he _could_ say. This was a situation he knew nothing about, a situation that he very much doubted anyone in the world could fully relate to. “Okay,” he finally whispered. “Okay. JJ…I hope you know we don’t want you to get hurt. And I hope you know that—that I think you should still protect yourself sometimes. But I won’t force you to do that if you don’t want to.”

JJ looked back at him, relief etched in his features. _Thank you for your understanding, my good man. I believe violence can always be avoided in favor of better alternatives._

Jackie nodded. “Well. Yeah, most of the time. And we’ll be just a text away if you ever need us for the rest of the time. You got that figured out, right?”

_Of course! I’m not a child._

“No.” Jackie grinned. “Today’s children know how to use a phone.” He laughed at the exaggerated offense on JJ’s face. “You know I love you, dude. Now come on, the shop might close soon.”

The rest of the walk passed in silence, without incident. 


End file.
